At least seven people were killed as a portion of a limestone mine collapsed on them at their village in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, officials informed on Friday.

Police said that among there were six women among the victims of the incident that took place in Maalgaon village under Nagarnar police station area, 12 kilometers away from Jagdalpur, the district headquarters.

A police official said, “The victims were digging soil in the mine when a part of it caved in, due to which they got trapped under the debris.”

Police personnel rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation after getting information of the incident, he added.

The official further said that five persons were killed on the spot, while two others were being shifted to a hospital.

According to information, there were only seven people digging the soil at the time of the incident, yet rescue operations have been kept underway.